ASC reassures consumers over Seafood Watch’s BC downgrade

THE salmon industry on Canada’s west coast was dealt a blow late last year when Seafood Watch, the widely followed sustainability ratings initiative, downgraded British Columbia’s salmon to “avoid” status.

Certification body the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has stressed, however, that the “avoid warning” does not apply to ASCcertified farms.

Seafood Watch is updated annually by the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the US, and offers a worldwide guide for consumers on the comparative sustainability of seafood by species and region.

The latest ratings moved Atlantic salmon from BC to the “avoid” category, joining other regions such as the UK (apart from Orkney), Newfoundland and Labrador on Canada’s east coast, Chile apart from the Magallanes region and most of Norway, other than Finnmark.

Atlantic salmon from some other regions – including Faroes, Nova Scotia, Orkney and Finnmark is classed as “buy, but be aware of concerns.”

Salmon reared in recirculating systems with wastewater treatment is rated a “buy”.

In a blog published on 17 December, however, the ASC has pointed out that all ASC-certified salmon, regardless of region, is a “buy” recommendation.

The ASC said: “If it’s ASC certified, you can be assured that it’s been responsibly produced. And that’s a pretty good rule of thumb no matter where the salmon was produced.”

ASC certification takes into account fish welfare, environmental impact and social responsibility.

Unlike Seafood Watch’s regional ratings, the ASC’s certification is granted on a site-by-site basis. For example, Mowi now has eight ASCcertified sites in Scotland and all of its farm sites in the Campbell River region of BC are certified.

For Grieg, 13 out of its 16 farms in BC are ASC certified and the rest are under assessment. Grieg is aiming at 100% ASC certification for its farms by 2023.